Circulary

By using our resources efficiently, we minimize the environmental impact of our operations.

In 2011, we started with our energy approach based upon the ISO 50001 standard. Between Volvo and a neighbouring company (Stora Enso), a heating net was installed, so we can use the rest heat of Stora to heat our buildings and certain process installations. End 2016 we started to sell our palettes (one way palettes) to a “palettery” instead of dispose them as waste.

We not only focus on water, energy, waste and air emissions (CO2 and other emissions) in our own operations, but also plan to increasingly put more demands on our business partners.

• End 2016, the implemented energy efficiency projects resulted in an energy reduction of 63GWh or about 20% reduction of the energy-use of 2011, mainly by rethinking our processes.
• A reduction of about 40% of CO2-emissions connected to the heating of our buildings and certain process installations (about 15000 ton of C02 reduction/year).
• On top of this, we want to investigate if carbon capture and utilisation is a further option for the extension of our energy efficiency work.

Barriers for the rollout of circular economy:

• Globalisation of the business world: it isn’t a Life Cycle Analysis if parts are delivered from outside of the EU. Performing a life cycle analysis on products bought outside Europe shows that returnable packaging is not an issue anymore and the choice of one way packaging is then the option.
• Economic: our waste is too diverse: projects in function of circular economies mean only an economic value of €0 -10,000.
• Organisational structures and the availability of external contractors: the disposal of waste within large companies is a role associated with a facility management organization. These departments want to work only with one contract partner for the disposal of “waste materials”. Within these business structures, a traditional waste contract partner is often not suitable to apply a circular approach.

STORA ENSO

Research institutions (universities, VITO,…)

Sector organizations (VOKA,AGORIA)